Arteta heaping praise on young Gunner Tierney
MIKEL Arteta says it has been a “pleasure” helping Kieran Tierney adapt to life at Arsenal as the Scotland international continues to earn rave reviews.
The 23-year-old moved to the Emirates Stadium from Celtic last summer but his first season in the Premier League has been impacted by injury.
After suffering a dislocated shoulder he did not feature under Arteta until after the restart and since then has starred, playing as either a wingback or as the left-sided centre-back in a three-man defence.
He is almost certain to start this afternoon’s north London derby at Tottenham as Arsenal look to both stay ahead of their neighbours and keep hopes of European qualification on track.
Supporters and pundits alike have been heaping praise of Tierney, while Arteta (pictured below) revealed the defender’s approach has made it even easier to adjust his approach for English football.
He said: “I am very impressed with Kieran.
“Just how he was acting and working on his rehab.
“Everybody loves him at the club and it is not a coincidence.
“He earns that every day – the way he treats people, the way he works around the way, the energy he brings to the place.
“Then with his performances I am delighted.
“Kieran has adapted really, really well.
“He is a player who gives you everything in every session and every game and the quality as well he is adding.
“You help him with pleasure because of what he brings, how willing he is all the time to work, to improve and to give his maximum to the team.”
Arteta, who spent two seasons at Rangers before joining Everton in 2005, pinpointed the main differences between playing in Scotland and south of the border.
He believes Tierney has coped well with those changes.
He added: “He had a really difficult period because of the injuries, because he moved to a different city, a different context to what he had in Glasgow with a club which was winning all the time and where he was very settled.
“It was a challenge for him. He has been dealing with that in the best possible way, with some difficulties.
“Kieran needed the club to support him, he needed his team-mates to make life easier for him. We are all trying to help him.”
The feeling is clearly mutual as Tierney hailed Arteta as “brilliant” following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Leicester.
The Foxes had been linked with a shock summer move for the full-back but Arteta insisted ‘he is not going anywhere’ when speculation.
Tierney is expected to line up in Arsenal’s side for his first taste of a north London derby, having been injured when the sides drew 2-2 in September.
Arteta’s youthful-looking side has improved in recent weeks and he has backed his players to deal with the first derby to take place at the Tottenham
asked
about
the
Hotspur Stadium. He said: think you need the right mix.
“Sometimes experienced players make a lot of mistakes as well. Young players make mistakes.
“It is about how mature you are and the moment you are in the situation to face any scenario possible in a football game and just put on the pitch the players you believe are more prepared to handle that situation.”
“I